This invention relates in general to fishing equipment and, more particularly, to a no-tie fishing system and method.
Fishing equipment is available in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and configurations for attracting and catching different species of fish. Examples of fishing equipment include devices for hooking and catching the fish, such as fishing lures or fish attractors, and fishing line for casting and retrieving the fish attractors. Several examples of fish attractors include spinner baits, jigs, plastic worms, fish hooks for attaching colorful or scented materials, fishing flies, and the like. Several examples of fishing line include monofilament line, leaders, tapered leaders, tippets, fly line, and the like.
Fishing equipment is generally designed and constructed for attracting and catching a specific species of fish. For example, fishing flies are generally constructed to resemble any one of a variety of species of insect that a particular species of fish feeds upon. Accordingly, some types of fishing equipment are generally very small. For example, a size 18 fish hook for a fishing fly measures approximately seven millimeters in length. Additionally, fish attractors generally include an eye for attaching the fishing line so that the fish attractor can be cast and retrieved. To maintain the appearance and attractability of the fish attractor, the eye is also generally constructed very small and in proportion to the size of the fish attractor.
However, connecting various types of fishing line material together and connecting the fishing line to the fish attractor can be cumbersome and time consuming. For example, since some types of fish attractors are generally constructed very small, threading and tying fishing line to the eye of the fish attractor becomes extremely difficult. With average or below average eyesight; poor lighting conditions; inclement weather; wind; a necessity to change the fish attractor quickly, such as during the limited minutes of a hatch; or stiff, cold, wet, large, or arthritic hands; the difficulty and problem of threading and tying the fishing line to the eye of the fish attractor is greatly magnified.
Additionally, the size of the eye of the fish attractor generally determines the size of fishing line that may be used with the fish attractor. The smaller eyes of the fish attractors generally require smaller fishing line. Consequently, the fishing line becomes smaller in diameter, more limp, more difficult to see, and increasingly difficult to handle. For example, a size 18 fishing fly is approximately seven millimeters in length, has a fish hook eye outside diameter of approximately 0.75 millimeters, a fish hook eye inside diameter of approximately 0.30 millimeters, and will generally accommodate fishing line through the eye of the fish hook of approximately 0.13 millimeters or less. Thus, the flexibility of using a variety of sizes of fish attractor devices with different diameter fishing line is limited.
Further, interchanging fish attractors may require time consuming and cumbersome replacement of various sections of the fishing line. For example, leaders used in fly fishing may include several joined sections of line decreasing in diameter from the fly line to the fishing fly or tippet. When interchanging fishing flies, various portions of the fishing line are generally cut off and may require adding sections to the leader, replacement of the leader, replacement of the tippet, or replacement of both the leader and the tippet. Thus, the flexibility of interchanging fish attractors is generally limited.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for an improved fishing system and method that provides greater ease and flexibility of use. The present invention provides no-tie fishing equipment and method that addresses shortcomings of prior fishing equipment and related methods of using such equipment.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a no-tie fishing system includes a fish attractor having an eye. The eye includes a generally circular configuration and is disposed at an end of a shank. The eye also includes a distal end disposed adjacent to and permanently spaced from the shank. The system also includes a fishing line having a first end. A sliding loop is formed at the first end of the fishing line for releasably engaging the fishing line with the eye of the fish attractor. A permanently formed gap is disposed between the distal end of the eye and the shank. The gap is sized to allow the fishing line to slide therethrough.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for fabricating no-tie fishing equipment for a fishing device includes providing a fishing line having a first end. The method also includes forming a sliding loop on the first end of the fishing line for releasably engaging the fishing line with the fishing device.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming a no-thread fishing apparatus includes forming a point on a first end of a shank and forming a barb on the first end of the shank adjacent the point. The method also includes forming the first end of the shank into a hook and forming an eye having a generally circular configuration on the second end of the shank. The eye includes a distal end disposed adjacent to and permanently spaced from the shank thereby forming a permanent gap between the distal end of the eye and the shank. The gap is sized to allow a fishing line to slide therethrough. The method also includes forming a first blocker on the second end of the shank. The first blocker is positioned to prevent a fishing line coupled to the eye from sliding off the eye. The method further includes forming a second blocker on the shank. The second blocker is disposed between the hook and the first blocker. The second blocker is positioned to prevent an attractor attached to the shank from obstructing the gap.
The present invention provides several technical advantages. In one embodiment of the present invention, the no-tie fishing system allows easier attachment of fishing line than other fishing equipment. For example, a sliding loop may be formed on one end of the fishing line and releasably engaged with the eye of a fish attractor. Combining a sliding loop with an eye incorporating teachings of the present invention substantially eliminates threading fishing line through the eye of a fish attractor and tying the fishing line to the eye of the fish attractor.
A no-tie fishing system incorporating teachings of the present invention provides greater flexibility than prior fishing systems by allowing increased use of smaller fish attractors with larger diameter fishing line. For example, smaller fish attractors generally include smaller diameter eyes. A sliding loop formed on one end of the larger diameter fishing line may be releasably engaged with the eye of the smaller fish attractor. Combining a sliding loop with an eye incorporating teachings of the present invention substantially eliminates threading the larger diameter fishing line through the generally smaller diameter eye of the small fish attractor.
Additionally, a no-tie fishing system incorporating teachings of the present invention allows easier interchangeability of fishing devices than other fishing systems by color coding a fish attractor and/or a fishing line. For example, color codes may be added to a leader, a tippet, and/or a fish attractor to designate the leader, tippet and/or fish attractor for use in particular fishing applications. The leader, tippet, and/or fish attractor may be easily interchanged with a new leader, tippet, and/or fish attractor for use in a different fishing application using the color codes.
A no-tie fishing system incorporating the teachings of the present invention also provides greater efficiency than other fishing systems. For example, combining a sliding loop with an eye incorporating teachings of the present invention substantially reduces loss of fishing line resulting from removing portions of the fishing line when interchanging fish attractors.
Other technical advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.